This invention relates to the use of apparatus for increasing the supply of compressed air to an engine such as a turbocharger, supercharger and the like. It is desirable to cool such compressed air being introduced into an engine in order to obtain efficient combustion. Unless the air is cooled the engine may tend to become overheated. The use of a coolant is not desirable because it utilizes power from the engine.
Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to cool such compressed air being fed into the engine through the use of heat tubes extending from the flow path of heated air into a controlled flow of ambient air. Excess moisture is collected and removed in a coalescer zone.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,406 discloses the use of a heat exchanger for use in a cooling tower by the use of heat pipes extending across inlet and outlet housings.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,681 and German patent No. 28 21 154 disclose heat pipes used in conjunction with turbochargers in other configurations.